Metal Heart
by MilesTailsPrower-007
Summary: The most horrible thing Sonic could think of has happened. What to do? SatAMstyle story, Robotosizer and all. OLD.
1. Metal One I Love

BASED ON THE SatAM SERIES  
  
Metal Heart~ chapter1-Metal One I Love  
  
Gotta hurry. Gotta hurry. The only two words in Sonic's mind. Over and over again. Gotta hurry. Gotta hurry. He tore through Robotropolis faster. There wasn't much time. The words just went through his head over amd over. But it was true. He repaeted the words once, very quietly to himself. "Gotta hurry ." 'Hurrying' wasn't good enough for Sonic right now. He knew he was going faster than anyone else ever could, but to Sonic right now, this was not even near being fast enough.  
  
Tearing through Robotropolis, Sonic did alot of abnormal things. He didn't tease robots, or destroy them. He din't show of or jeer at the cameras. He just ran hard. Tails was in trouble. Alot of trouble. Right now, to Sonic, nothing mattered except saving him.  
  
The time seemed to pass in hours as he ran. Tails couldn't be protected right now. Sonic couldn't help him. His mind just raced. Buildings blurred by. Sonic kept going. He forced himself on. Robotnik was so sick in the head. Tails was only a child. Sonic knew even as he ran the things he dreaded could've been happening. Only a bit farther now...  
  
Half a minute later, and with the use of a power ring, Sonic burst into the central control room. Robotnik was smiling demonically at Tails, who was by now, thrown in the robotosizer and panicked beyond belief.  
  
"ROBOTNIK!" Sonic boomed, forgetting about jeers or taunts.  
  
"Ah, hello, hedgehog," Robotnik said calmly. "It's about time you got here...and you're already too late. The little one is about to become my littlest armed robot!"  
  
Sonic was too thunderstruck to do anything or make a witty comment. He was afraid for Tails; for his own sanity; for everything. And then all his confidence fell apart. Robotnik flipped the switch, and the most horrible thing you could ever have to watch your loved ones suffer started.  
  
Metal replaced all the flesh. Mechanics replaced the insides. Sonic stood, for the first time, unable to move. A sick feeling was coming over him. Despair. The deed continued, until at last came the final result. The worst result Sonic could wish for. Metal Tails. 


	2. Sick Inside

Metal Heart~ Chapter2-Sick Inside  
  
Sonic felt a sting in his eyes. Tears. Tears of anger, of frustration, of hate of despair. He couldn't do anything. Robotnik had just done something worse than killing Tails. He'd robotosized him. A tear spilled down Sonic's face. Anger rose inside him. Robotnik removed his finished work from the robotosizer. Tails was no longer a frightened little fox about to meet doom. He was a blankly expressioned robot. Nothing more. Robotnik smiled coldy at his new posession.  
  
Unable to restrain himself, Sonic rushed to Tails. Dark eyes stared blankly forward. No smile brightened Tails' face. He was definatly a robot. Sonic had seen this happen to people all the time. It was horrible. But now it was worse than a nightmare. It was real and it had just happened to Tails, someone Sonic cared about very much.  
  
Sonic put his hand on Tails' metal shoulder. It was cold and firm, and Sonic felt the tears in his eyes wanting to pour through onto his face. He din't want to believe this had happened. It all had to be a sick dream.  
  
"Tails, c'mon," Sonic pleaded softly. "C'mon, look at me, big guy. I'm with you. Please look at me " Tails did nothing. Nothing at all. Sonic restrained the tears as best he could. "Tails, please."  
  
"Give it up, hedgehog," Robotnik said coldly. "He's metal. You were too late. I have robotosized him."  
  
"You," Sonic growled, tears beginning to go down his face. "You are sick!"  
  
"Thank-you," Robotnik said. "I love what I do."  
  
"THIS KID IS TOTALLY INNOCENT!" Sonic half shouted. "Why didn't you take me ? He was innocent "  
  
"Somehow I just can't seem to care," Robotnik replied.  
  
"I'm gonna get you for this," Sonic muttered. "I WILL, I SWEAR!!!" Emotion had taken hold of him. He didn't care that he was crying for once. And as much as he hated to think so, Sonic knew he'd failed. He was too late and Tails was a robot now. He had to leave. There was nothing left to do. Sonic turned to go. Tears remained on his face. "I'll make him normal again, I swear," he muttered, and left. 


	3. Losses of the Heart

Metal Heart~ 

chapter 3-Losses of the Heart 

            Sonic returned to Knothole. Needless to say, he was immediately noticed as 'alone'. Tails was not with him. His heart felt heavy. Sally and Bunnie immediately rushed over to see him.

"Sonic!" Sally cried. "Where's Tails...?" A sickened look crossed her face. "No...he didn't...did he...?"

Sonic looked down, unable to say what had to be said. He knew Sally could figure it out from the look on his face.

"Robotnik...that sick, depraved tyrant," Sally whispered. "What happened, Sonic? Tell me."

"Yeah, do tell us, sugah," Bunnie added. "We gotta know whut's happened."

Sonic felt a void in his heart. "I saw it. Again. Only this time it was Tails who got put in there...and there wasn't a thing I could do. He's...metal."

Sally stared at him in shock. "Tell me this is one of your sick jokes. Please start laughing at me so I know it's not real."

"It's more than real, Sal. It's mondo real."

Bunnie and Sally just stared at him. This couldn't be anything but a big sick nightmare. It seemed like one. But, sick as it was, it was all real and it had all happened and, at the given time, there was nothing anyone could do. Sally broke down in tears.

"Tails...no," she wept. "Why did it have to happen to you...? I'm so sorry..."

"Sally-girl, there ain't nothin' we c'n do," Bunnie told her gently. "Ah think there's always gonna be a day where all o' yer plans hafta get messed up, cuz, darlin', nobody's perfect, and y'all know that."

"But Tails didn't deserve this, Bunnie," Sally said, tears still on her face. "What did he do wrong?"

"Nothin', hon, but that ol' Robotnik sure has some mean tricks up his sleeve."

Sonic was still just standing there, looking at his sneekers. It was hard to believe he was there at all. No impatience was shown and he wasn't saying anything. It took another few moments for him to speak again. "I guess we're gonna have to break it to everybody that, because of me, we lost Tails."

"Sonic, it isn't your fault," Sally whispered. "None of us could have done any better."

"I don't care, Sal," Sonic replied. "If I hadn't have been on such a snooze cruise, I woulda made it there with loads of time left." Deep down, he knew that saying that made him look worse, but it made him feel better somehow. Any way he put it, he was still miserable.

"Now y'all just calm down," Bunnie said. "Ah know this is hard, but we can't let it bring us down. Am ah right? That's whut Robotnik's tryin' ta do. Bring us down so he c'n win!"

Neither Sonic nor Sally said a thing. It was all just too depressing. Sonic sighed. "I'm gonna go see what Rotor's up to. We can break the news to everyone at once later." And he walked off. Walked. That was the most abnormal thing in the world. Sonic actually _walking._ Sally took out Nicole. 

"Bunnie, I'll see you later," Sally said quietly. "I have things to do."

"Sally-girl, Tails is gonna be just fine," Bunnie said firmly. "There ain't no need for y'all to get too upset."

"Bunnie, it will take so long to figure out how to de-rebotosize..." Sally replied. "We might not ever figure it out..." Her body started to tremble a little from the tears she was holding back. "First my father disappears and now Tails is dead."

"He ain't dead, Sally-girl. He's a robot, but that sure as heck don't mean the same thing as him bein' _dead_." Bunnie felt a bit of hopelessness in her words. She knew she was trying to encourage Sally to keep going on with the plans...but she felt pain, too. Tails was usually around. It was strange without him there following Sonic around or begging Princess Sally to let him go do something he wasn't supposed to. Everything felt weird suddenly. Everything felt...hopeless. Bunnie sighed. "Ah- ah really dunno whut ah'm talkin' about right now, y'know?" She knew it was not a good thing to be made of metal. Bunnie herself was half mecha.

Sally turned to go. "I need some time to think, Bunnie," she said softly. "I think Tails is going to leave a void in at least a couple of hearts."

"Sugah, I wanna think that this'll all get bettah soon, and ah know cryin' 'bout it ain't gonna help. Though ah am gonna miss the li'l' one."

Forlornly staring up at the sky, Sally heeded little of what Bunnie had said. "I don't know. I don't know if I want to keep trying."

Bunnie stared at her. "Y'all can't be sayin' that yer givin' up! Sally-girl, ya can't!"

"Why can't I, Bunnie?" Princess Sally asked sadly. "The more I try the more I lose. There's no point in winning the freedom fight if I haven't got anything to keep me going. I don't know anything anymore. Even Sonic is upset. We lost Tails today, and that isn't very good at all."

"Sally...."

"I just need awhile to think. I'll be alright." She choked back a sob and left. Bunnie didn't know what to do. Sonic and Sally were heartbroken over Tails and without them, well...Bunnie didn't like to think about that. She would have to raise their spirits somehow. She knew Tails becoming mecha was hard to get over, but she had to help out. She was going to have to be the one to cheer them all up.


	4. Battle of Mecha Tails

There! I fixed it for you, dude. It's MECHA TAILS, not Metal Tails*  
  
Metal Heart~  
  
chapter4-Battle of Mecha Tails  
  
Three days later, Sonic's spirit had definatly at least partially returned. He found himself in Robotropolis again, helping provide a distraction for Princess Sally as she looked for a power supply to shut down the city.  
  
"Come and get me, bolt brain!" Sonic jeered at a SWATbot. "Didn't ya ever learn its no fair to use guns in a game of tag?" He laughed, and ran away a little then turned back and performed a sonic-spin, breaking the 'bot to pieces. There. That had about cleared the area of robots for now. "Whew. Sure is easy destroyin' a bunch o' the old metal heads with the systems down even a bit."  
  
Sonic smiled confidently and turned to the direction Sally had left in minutes before. But the last thing he had expected happened. He ran right into Mecha Tails.  
  
"Tails!" Sonic gasped. The robotosized fox stared coldly and blankly at him. The orange metal of his body was highly visible even in the dim light of Robotropolis. His dual metal tails were pointed and fatal-looking. Somehow, Sonic expected part of Tails to still be there, and slowly he reached out for Mecha Tails' hand. He wanted to tell Tails he was sorry. But before Sonic's hand touched that of Mecha Tails, the robot pulled his hand from reach. Then Sonic saw the lazer wrist he had.  
  
He stood a surprised step backward. Mecha Tails had a gun?! No...Tails wouldn't hurt Sonic...would he? No, Tails wouldn't. But this was Mecha Tails and he was different. He was a robot. Sonic didn't know what to do. Part of him said to go and blast him to bits, and the other part of him said not to because mecha or not, that was still Tails.  
  
Sonic just stood there a moment. Without warning, Mecha Tails fired a lazer shot at Sonic, who managed to get out of the way. Sonic tore off. He wasn't going to fight Tails no matter what. He couldn't.  
  
Mecha Tails lifted off the ground and flew after him, using his two tails. He couldn't tire out and he flew much better than he did when he was just a normal little fox. Sonic saw that he was being followed. Mecha Tails certainly didn't want to give up.   
  
"Where did Sally go?" Sonic thought. "How the heck am I supposed to get it so Mecha Tails will leave me alone long enough to sonic-speed myself around the city and find her?"  
  
Mecha Tails fired several shots at Sonic, all of which missed.   
  
"Tails, give up!" Sonic shouted. The robot heeded him. Sonic sighed. "I thought I was gonna have to fight him for a sec there..."  
  
He stopped his running pace and looked behind himself. All clear. CLUNK. Sonic turned forward again. Mecha Tails had just landed in front of him. Sonic frowned. "Tails, I don't have TIME to play around here." He knew that Tails wouldn't listen to him, but warnings were fair play. Mecha Tails raised his lazer wrist to be level with Sonic's chest. He stood there so long making precision on the shot, Sonic actually believed he wouldn't fire. But he did. Sonic barely jumped out of the way and he got an indirect hit to the shoulder. Tails fired again, then repeatedly. Sonic felt a feeling of betrayal. But he knew Tails wasn't in control of himself.  
  
The battle began. Sonic tried to just avoid at first. Tails didn't give up. He just flew right on ahead, shooting at Sonic from the sky.  
  
"Don't play cheap!" Sonic cried. "ITS PITIFUL! Play the game by the rules or don't play at all!"  
  
Mecha Tails again landed in front of Sonic. Sonic felt a rising annoyance building up inside himself. He had a longing to smash the robot to bits. Mecha Tails just stared at him. His eyes were demonically looking right at Sonic, never blinking or faulting in expression. Sonic stood still.  
  
WHUMP!!! Mecha Tails suddenly forced Sonic down. Sonic knew it now. The thought he dreaded to think. He would have to fight back or die. "Sorry, ace, I'm not gonna let you kill me," Sonic whispered. He forcefully threw Tails off off him and he hit a nearby building hard. Sonic stood up. Mecha Tails was motionless a moment, then leapt back to his feet. The city was getting dark now as dusk settled in. Tails' red glowing eyes were visable. He had no way to speak anymore. As a robot he had no mouth, no speakers, nothing. In the silence he just stood plotting a move. He jumped at Sonic, spinning his dual metal tails to lift offf and landed lightly behind him. Tails ran back at Sonic, trying to force him down again. Sonic knew what he was doing.  
  
"I know what you're going to pull on me," Sonic said. "You're going to throw me down, beat me up and hope I don't try to do something about it!!!" He ran out of Tails' way and Tails turned back at him. Sonic frowned at his former ally. "That's no good. You aren't gettin' anywhere with that move."  
  
Mecha Tails seemed to nod, then flew up into the darkened sky. Sonic looked up. There was no sign of anything. Had Mecha Tails given up? Sonic set his sights on finding Sally again. She'd probably be leaving soon though, being as Sonic was being so slow about finding her.  
  
Sonic took two steps forward. THUD! Mecha Tails landed on top of him forcefully. His metal hands dug into Sonic's shoulders as he pinned him down. His heavy metal body lay heavily on Sonic, and he was nearly crushing the hedgehog. Sonic knew he would have to do something now or lose his life because he was afraid to hurt someone he loved. Mecha Tails put his left hand on Sonic's throught, slowly closing his grip. Sonic prepared his move as the death grip slowly tightened.  
  
There was a sick noise like a saw on metal. Sonic did a sonic spin and leapt back to his standing position. Mecha Tails was thrown off him like before. Sonic couldn't control himself. He'd fought off robots so many times. Something inside him asked why this robot was so different. Uncontrollably, Sonic jumped at Mecha Tails and shoved him against a wall. Tails kicked him down. Sonic immediatly did a quick jump up then performed sonic tornado. Again, he got Tails against the wall. He pinned him down hard, and hit the robot against the wall as hard as he could afew times. Then something inside him remembered.  
  
That robot was Tails.  
  
Mecha Tails sunk down to a sitting position. He'd been thrown around too much. There was a noticable dent in his shoulder where Sonic had pushed him so hard against the wall. The red lights in his eyes blinked out. Sonic felt sick. He had just beat up a friend. Or at least, what used to be a friend. The robot's system had shut down temporarily for internal structure check and maybe afew internal auto-repairs. Sonic looked at what he had done. If Tails weren't a robot, all those dents would be damage to bones and he would be bruised and bleeding, not to mention unconscious. Pity struck.  
  
Sonic walked over and lifted the little fox robot into his arms. He was heavy since he was metal, but Sonic was sure he could manage. He knew Robotnik was not going to repair Mecha Tails. He never repaired anyone that used to be important to Sonic, like his friends.  
  
"So," Sonic thought. "I find Sally, we go home, and the repairs are up to Rotor." 


	5. For Hatred or Love

Metal Heart~  
  
chapter5-For Hatred or Love  
  
Sally objected to Sonic hundreds of times on the way home. She told him it was too risky to bring ANY robot back to Knothole, former friend or not. That, and she told him about the spots he was bleeding from many times aswell. Sonic ignored her for once. He cared more about saving his friend right now...  
  
Sonic raced to Rotor. "Rotor!!! You have to help me, please!" The blood from his wounded shoulder had dripped all down his arm and desperation shone in his eyes. In his arms, he still cradled the shut-down robot fox. Rotor jumped backward in surprise. "You have to be joking, Sonic!" he cried. "That's one of Robotnik's robots!!! You're gonna get us all caught!!! Are you nuts?!!!"  
  
Tears were in Sonic's eyes. "Rotor, look at him. This isn't one of Robotnik's clunkers. This used to be Tails." Rotor looked at the robot a moment. It looked as though his heart had sunk. "Sonic, if I help him, Robotnik might find us. I know it's Tails, but he's..."  
  
"A robot?" Sonic finished. "You think I care any less for him 'cause he's made of metal? It doesn't mean that deep inside he has a metal heart, does it?! Rotor, c'mon..."  
  
Rotor sighed. "I- I guess I can't argue with you, Sonic. Your love is stronger than my voice..." He beckoned Sonic to come with him. Sonic nodded once almost curtly and followed.   
  
Rotor set to work on Mecha Tails, doing the best he could. After five hours of effort, Rotor at last booted Mecha Tails' system to life. This wasn't exactly a good thing. Mecha Tails sprung to life, immediatly setting his lock-on lazer on Sonic. Rotor jumped out of the way. "Remind me again why you wanted him fixed?" Rotor asked nervously as Tails edged himself a little closer with his lazer.  
  
"Can it, Rotor," Sonic growled. "He might be acting a little weird but---"  
  
"A LITTLE WEIRD?!!" Rotor cried. "He's gonna go nuts!"  
  
"Look, I don't care! Damn, it's still Tails."  
  
Mecha Tails looked at Sonic loathingly and made a move back in that direction.   
  
Sonic tried to reason. What a stupid idea.  
  
"Tails, there's no reason to get violent," he began in vain. Tails lunged at him. Sonic side-stepped the attack, and Mecha Tails hit the floor hard in a face-plant. Now he was getting angry. Sonic just tried to stay out of the way. If he resorted to attack, then he'd surely kill the robot this time around.  
  
Mecha Tails got up and walked over to Sonic so slowly Sonic could've sworn that he wasn't going to do anything. like earlier that day, he was wrong. With one 360 spin, Tails sent his double tails around like dual blades, narrowly missing Sonic.  
  
Now there was no choice.  
  
"Fight to the death," Sonic thought. "Why does it have to come to this?" 


	6. Never Let Go

Metal Heart~ chapter 6  
  
Never Let Go  
  
Mecha Tails focused his cold stare on Sonic. In his red and black eyes, that hedgehog was no ally. Just a mere living thing to be destroyed at any cost. Had he been able to speak, his voice would've come out as a soft cruel tone, with words around the lines of 'Never let go, Sonic, though today I will assure death comes quick...' He couldn't think on his free will anymore. He didn't think like a child. He thought like a robot made only to murder. To unleash the pain that still lurked deep down in his not-so-metal heart. No-one who was robotosized had a metal heart...they were still themselves deep down.  
  
Sonic took another few steps backward. Rotor was simply staying as much out of the way as he could get himself. Unfortunatly, Mecha Tails was the one closest to the door, so making a quick way out on Roror's part looked unlikely. Mecha Tails positioned his lazer. Sonic would have to go down first. Programming said so.  
  
It didn't matter. Sonic was still convinced his little friend was enough a part of that robot's core to listen. But yet, he didn't dare touch him. Tails cornered Sonic so easily...he seemed to be in a daze of some sort...Not thinking of the millions of easy ways out there were. Tails took another step closer and pushed his metal hand against Sonic's shoulder, holding him against the wall. Sonic didn't seem threatened at all. He calmly shoved the metal fox back a little.  
  
"What are you trying to do, Sonic?!" Rotor cried. "You aren't playing with each other!"  
  
"Yeah," Sonic replied. "...but does HE know that?"  
  
Mecha Tails pointed his lazer wrist on several occasions, but Sonic just eased the arm down. He'd been sure only minutes before that he'd be forced to blow Mecha Tails into bits of metal. All Sonic really had to do was stay quiet and move a little slowly. It was like taming a wild animal. Maybe if he was slow, and gentle, Tails wouldn't hurt him.  
  
Rotor gradually figured out that Sonic wasn't about to have his blood and guts splattered all over the walls, and relaxed. He watched curiously as Sonic took Mecha Tails' hand. "I promise you, Big Guy," he said softly. "I promise you'll be okay...just trust me..." Again, Tails went for the lazer. "Sonic, its sorta useless," Rotor said. "He'll just keep trying to shoot you." Sonic ignored Rotor. If he could talk to his dog Muttski without harm, he could talk to Tails. He held Tails' gun hand pointing down towards the floor, and looked directly at him. "C'mon, Tails...it's alright, it's only me..." He looked at the cold metal features. This whole robotosization process was a curse, ridding anyone who had the hell of being sumbitted to it of the freedom to move at will. Sonic didn't quite understand why with Muttski he could get a realistic action...The dog acted quite normal after being around him afew minutes, regardless of the fact he was metal. Sonic was sure Tails could be that way too.  
  
It was slow and pain-staking, but Mecha Tails did begin to try and attack less frquently, and when he did try, he was easy to stop. Sonic just held him still, and talked to him softly. "How do you intend to get him back to Robotropolis?" Rotor asked. Sonic turned and smiled slyly. "Who said I was bringin' him back?"  
  
Rotor looked at him in surprise. "Sonic!! you have to be joking!! Mecha Tails is still a threat, even if he's seemed to have calmed down. He's Robotnik's now, and he's got a potential to be really hazardous on us Freedom Fighters..."  
  
Sonic frowned. "Well who needs you? I didn't HAVE to tell you that...I mean, you're probably gonna blab it all out to Sal in a sec, like Antoine would do. She protested to me even bringing Tails here to start with, and the whole way over she yacked about dangers and how I was being stupid and all that. Hey, I'm not being selfish. I'm trying to help the kid, okay?!"  
  
Rotor couldn't argue. Sonic was only trying to help Tails.   
  
"Tails...I'm sorry, but I guess maybe Rotor is right...I want you to stay here...but you're a 'bot..."  
  
Bunnie pushed open the door, which Tails and Sonic had thankfully moved away from. "Mah stars!" she cried. "Sonic, sugarhog, ah do declare that Sally-girl was wrong!"  
  
"Huh? What? Wrong about what?"  
  
"Wrong about Tails..."  
  
"?!!"  
  
"You've had him here hours...Sally-girl's throwin' a fit about 'bots in the village, but ah really don't see what's so wrong..."  
  
"BUNNIE!!" Rotor cried. "Not you too!!"  
  
Bunnie shrugged. "Sarry, Rotor, but ah think Sonic does have a way with that li'l' one..."  
  
Rotor looked extremely pissed. "This is outrageous!! Come on! Sally is right. We gotta get him outta here. Robotnik will be on our tails day and night!"  
  
Sonic grinned. "..He is anyway, even if we stole back the newest addition to his 'bot collection." He looked at Tails again. "I said I'd never let go when it came to those I love, and i'm provin' it."  
  
Rotor sighed. "There could be more advantages to him being in Robotropolis. I mean, if he's on Robotnik's team but our side..."  
  
Bunnie smiled. "Exactly."  
  
Sonic crossed his arms. "But I have to keep him here a little longer...prove he's with us like I knew all along..." 


	7. Reluctant

Metal Heart~ chapter 7  
  
Reluctant  
  
Sonic must've grumbled about it the whole way. "I swear! I can make him be good!" he told Sally again. Sally shook her head. "It's too risky, Sonic. If he IS on our side, he'll help us when we're in Robotropolis." Sonic sighed. To him, it wasn't fair. Tails was a little kid who did not deserve to be left in a horrible city like this one, metal or not.  
  
"Sal, c'mon," Sonic pleaded. "Have a heart, will ya?" He slowed his pace to a walk and kept alongside Bunnie and Princess Sally. Sally ignored him. She wasn't going to put up with Sonic or his dangerous idea. Bunnie was firmly holding onto Mecha Tails so that he couldn't escape. Even still, he was struggling and fighting, trying to free himself.  
  
"Calm down, yah little muffin, I ain't gonna hurtcha," she said to him.  
  
"I doubt he's listening, Bunnie," Sally said stiffly. She kept walking. Bunnie paused briefly and tightened her metal grip around Tails' waist. It wasn't hurting him any; he was made of metal just like half of Bunnie was.  
  
Sonic was getting more reluctant. "I know that he can help us...But do we have to leave him?"  
  
"Sonic, he's a ROBOT," Sally replied, her tone hard. "We have to." She walked on ahead. Sonic frowned slightly.   
  
"What do you suppose crawled up her back today?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Ah got no idea, sugah-hog," Bunnie told him. "Ughhh, stay still a minute, wouldja, yah little metal angel?!!" She closed her grip on Tails with such a force, a loud clank of metal on metal sounded. "Sugah-hog, the little muffin just don't wanna stay still a minute..."  
  
Sonic managed to touch Mecha Tails gently on the shoulder as he thrashed to free himself from Bunnie's grip. "Tails, calm down. Bunnie will put you down soon." Though he didn't stop fighting, he didn't fight as hard, and Bunnie managed to keep her hold.  
  
After fifteen minutes of walking, the reched the main part of Robotropolis. Bunnie set Mecha Tails down and he immediatly moved away about ten feet. Sonic sighed. He obviously wanted no part in being near the Freedom Fighters, but at least he'd be alright...Uncle Chuck was here.  
  
But still, this hurt Sonic deep down...Tails wanted to be away from the Freedom Fighters.  
  
Author's Note: I'm so sorry I made the chapter so short...Please accept it as is, alrighty? 


	8. No Matter What, Protect Him

Metal Heart~ chapter eight  
  
No Matter What  
  
"Think he's okay there?" Sonic asked. Bunnie had her ears up in curlers and her nightrobe on. "Sugah-hog, dontcha worry 'bout Tails none," she replied sleepily. "He's gonna be alright, you just watch."  
  
Sonic was worried, and not entirely sure he could trust the idea of Tails, mecha or no, alone in the city at night. It made him feel sick, and even more sick when he thought of how if he'd been a little more keyed in, Tails wouldn't have BECOME a robot to begin with...God, why was this all his fault?!!! Now, due to the guilt, he couldn't sleep. He was spending the night over at Bunnie's in the hopes she could help him out. Of course, no one can lay away another's guilt, but it's not a wrong to ask for a bit of consolation from your friends.  
  
"Bunnie...Are you scared for him..?"  
  
Bunnie looked at Sonic in surprise. "A- Ah dunno, Sonic..." she replied. It was the first time he'd EVER heard her call him by name. She was obviously really really surprised... "Ah dunno if ah worry for 'im, or if ah'm just plain scared...Ah think he'll be alright, bein' as he's got Charlie there an' all..."  
  
"Uncle Chuck...I'm sure he'll look out for Tails..."  
  
"Ah'm sure too, sugah-hog...Charlie has a strong heart, even as a robot..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Bunnie smiled. "Now listen here, yah muffin. If you plan on goin' tah the city in tha mornin' then what in tha hoo-ha are y'all stayin' up so late for?"  
  
Sonic smiled too. "You're right. G'night, Bunnie."  
  
"G'night, sugah."  
  
In the morning, Sonic was quick to leave for the city. He brought a power ring with himself for the sake of talking to Uncle Chuck...In case...Now, Chuck was no task to find. Sonic slipped past the worker 'bots and got to him. Swiftly, he ran to him.  
  
"Uncle Chuck!"  
  
Chuck snapped out of pretending to be like the others. "Sonny boy! Something the matter?"  
  
Sonic nodded sadly. "Yeah, it's MONDO bad. Tails...He...Got turned into a robot..."  
  
Chuck stared at Sonic in surprise a moment. "That poor little kid got turned into a MACHINE?!!"  
  
"Yeah..." He sniffled. "I want you to look out for him, okay, Uncle Chuck? Sal says its the best way to leave him in Robotropolis, but all I did all last night was worry..."  
  
Chuck put his hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Don't you worry, Sonny boy," he told Sonic. "I'll keep an eye on him...Is he...?"  
  
"...Like a normal Robot? Nope...If I talk to him a little, he calms down and stops trying to kill me...But he doesn't wanna be near the Freedom Fighters...And Rotor is still sure he thinks like a robot..."  
  
"Sonic, listen," Chuck said firmly as tears visably began to show in Sonic's eyes. "Tails is your little brother no matter what old robotnik does to him, you hear me? Deep down, he can still feel that he loves you, Sonic, and that's why he won't hurt you. He might be controlled now, but he hasn't got a metal heart."  
  
"I- I know...I told Rotor that before..."  
  
"Exactly." Chuck turned back to leave. "I'll watch out for Tails, Sonny boy. Nothing will happen to him with me here, I promise." He left.  
  
Sonic sighed. "Bye Uncle Chuck...Thanks..."  
  
No matter what, as long as his uncle was there, and deep down Tails could still feel, Sonic knew everything would be alright...They'd have that de-robotosizer soon...  
  
((THE END))  
  
Author's Note: This story is deticated to Ladymecha, a true hard-core SatAM fan. She is a really great lady. This is for you, friend! I hope you enjoyed it. And for those of you who liked my SatAM story, please tell me and I'll write somemore SatAM stuff. I'll start up on an Epilogue to Metal Heart...Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Bye! 


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